Ex-U.S. Navy sailor sentenced to nearly 17 years in prison for spying for China
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Naval Base San Diego. Photo: K.C. Alfred/UT file via Getty Images
A former U.S. Navy sailor found guilty of spying for China was sentenced to 200 months in prison on Monday, officials announced.
The big picture: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in a Monday statement said Jinchao Wei was an "active-duty U.S. Navy sailor betrayed his country and compromised the national security of the United States" by selling military secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer.
State of play: The 25-year-old who's also known as Patrick Wei was arrested in 2023 while working as a machinist's mate on the amphibious assault ship, the USS Essex, at Naval Base San Diego, California.
- Wei held a U.S. security clearance and had access to sensitive national defense details about the ship's weapons, propulsion and desalination systems.
- A Chinese intelligence officer recruited the China-born naturalized U.S. citizen via social media and he was paid $12,000 over 18 months for selling Navy secrets, prosecutors said.
Zoom in: Wei was convicted in August of espionage and five other charges related to selling military secrets while on active duty. He was found not guilty of one count of naturalization fraud.
- A second sailor, who was arrested at the same time as Wei, was sentenced in 2024 to 27 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring with a Chinese intelligence officer and receiving a bribe.
What they're saying: Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said in a statement that Wei had "made a mockery" of the commitments he made in joining the Navy when he "chose to endanger our Nation and our servicemembers by selling U.S. military secrets" for "personal profit."
- His sentence "reflects our commitment to ensuring those who sell our Nation's secrets pay a very high price for their betrayal," Eisenberg added.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional details throughout.
